


lotus

by halejas



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: A lot of fluff I promise, Angst, Cliche, Cute, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I wrote this for a friend, Lowercase, M/M, but also angst, enough, hyunjin likes to meddle, i put a lot of cliches, im sorry, minho makes bad choices, poor felix
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-05-20 16:27:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19380442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/halejas/pseuds/halejas
Summary: jisung walks into a coffee shop one day, tattoo design in hand.





	1. l

the chime of the bell was what got minho’s attention. it had been a pretty dead day, so he was glad for some stimulation. he always had the thursday shift alone.  
he looked over to greet the eyes of a boy he hadn’t seen before. he would know if he had seen the detailed tattoos running up and down the boys arms. he strolled up to the counter, piece of paper in hand. minho didn't realize he was staring until,  
“excuse me? you there?” the boy said.  
“oh! sorry. hi, what can I get for you today?”, minho recited  
“yeah, hi…” the boy read minho's name tag, “minho. I'm a new apprentice for that tattoo parlor just next door. my manager, changbin, said you guys do trades? for like, goods and stuff?”  
minho nodded in confirmation.  
“he said to bring you this,” he handed minho said paper, “and told me to ask you for a, uh, green tea latte and... a black coffee.”  
minho looked down at the paper. it had a tattoo design he hadn’t seen before, in a style he had never seen before. a beautiful lotus flower, blooming with swirls and all the colours of a sunset. it was new. it was refreshing. it made minho calm, curious. he made a mental note to ask which artist did this one up.  
“sure, gimme a sec.” minho smiled and started making the beverages. to his surprise, the boy stood at the counter and kept talking, rather than sitting down as previous apprentices always had done.  
“so.. do you know the owners well?”  
“of the tattoo parlor? yeah, we went to college together. they pursued visual arts, i pursued dance. they got to make a full time career out of their passion though, i just ended up teaching 4-year-olds dance on the side,” he laughed. To be honest, minho was scared if he would ever get something good out of his love of dance as changbin and chan did out of art. but he liked the coffee shop well enough. he saw new people everyday. he got to see a new life story with every order. he always believed you could tell a lot from somebodies order. who knows, maybe one day he can make a career out of brewing cappuccinos.  
“here you go, one green tea for chan, one black coffee for changbin!” minho said with a practiced smile he used on all his customers.  
“i didn't tell you who each was for, did i? you really do know them, huh?” he turned to leave, but turned back, “and hey, minho. i don't know you very well yet, but i think you can do it. make a career out of dance, i mean. changbin’s mentioned to me how talented you are. and chan was right, too, you do have the body for it,” he said with a wink. and he was gone, leaving minho with a hand full of paper, no artist to the design, and no name to the face.


	2. o

"what do you mean, just left?!" hyunjin asked, well, more like yelled at minho. he was telling hyunjin about the encounter he had at the coffee shop just a mere few hours earlier.  
"he just left! what was I supposed to do, run after him?"  
"preferably, yeah!" hyunjin flopped on his bed, across from minho's.  
"well I'm sorry I'm not as dramatic as you. maybe you should just live my love life for me, huh?" minho held the drawing from earlier in his hands. he never hung it up in the café like he was supposed to. he brought it home with him go show his roommate, hyunjin. he felt like this design was different, for a specific reason he just couldn't put his finger on. the colours were a blend he had never seen chan do, and the soft floral was something changbin wouldn't ever dream of doing.  
"good idea…" hyunjin said.  
"wait, what? don't get any ideas-" minho has cut off by hyunjin grabbing minho's phone.  
"hyunjin, what are you doing! give that back!" he said, jumping off his bed, leaving the design behind. hyunjin turned his back to minho and used his height to an advantage, holding minho's phone high above his head. he was trying to input minho's password but minho was making it difficult. He was laughing and jumping at him, reaching for the phone. yelling questions like, "what do you think you're doing?" and "give that back right now!".  
"Hmm.. where's chan's number, min?" hyunjin laughed  
"no don't you darE-"  
"what's.. the.. name.. of-" he was enunciating slowly, while typing out the words. well, until minho jumped onto his back, tackling him to the ground.  
'hello?' they heard.  
"hello? oh! hi chan! it's hyunjin. i have a quick question for you-" hyunjin spoke in a mocking, fake voice.  
"no, no he doesn't! bye chan,"  
"i do! minho stop interrupting me!"  
'enough! minho, shut up! hyunjin, what do you want? be quick, i have jisung over," they heard on the line, followed by a 'hey guys!', presumably from the guest.  
minho and hyunjin went silent.  
"jisung?" minho asked, voice timid.  
'yeah, jisung. didn't you two meet earlier? i sent him over there with a new design, he's the newest apprentice. the design waa pretty impressive, in my opinion. hes got real potential. anyway, hyunjin, what do you need?' chan said, still over the phone and getting more annoyed by the second.  
"nothing, nothing.. get back to jisung, i'll see you soon"  
'yeah, you will. stop being weird, you two, bye," chan finished,clearly annoyed. he was followed with a click of the call being ended.  
minho had just been sitting there in a daze since he heard the boys name. jisung, jisung, jisung. a beautiful name for a beautiful person, he thought. how he wishes he could see jisung again, how he wishes to be around him, talk with him, laugh with him. not even the name... the design was his as well? minho reached over to grab the paper once more, looking at it all over again in a new way. how did he not figure it out? a brand new style, new colours, new apprentice, how did he not see it.  
"yo, earth to minho? what, are you so in love with the dude that you go into a trance at the mention of his name or something?" hyunjin said, more amused than annoyed.  
"yeah, yeah. i'm going for a walk," minho stood up, grabbing a coat and his wallet, "i'll be back later,"  
"a walk? it's like 8pm you're gonna get stabbed!"  
"a friend wouldn't let me get stabbed alone then, would he?" minho asked.  
"yeah, fine," hyunjin said with a slight mumble at the end.  
they walked around the block a few times, being careful to stick close to home in case of some mugger-murderer combo. not much was said between the two, but all hyunjin could think about was what minho was thinking about. was he really this captivated by a name? what had happened between the two that minho hadn’t told him? why did he need a walk?  
they walked up the flights of stairs leading up to their apartment to be faced with a felix sitting in front of their door, head in hands. minho moved first, rushing over.  
“‘lix? ‘lix! what are you doing?”  
“what,” felix awoke, not looking too happy to have his nap interrupted, “oh, yeah. can i crash here? bin and I fought again and i didn't wanna stay there tonight.”  
changbin and felix were somewhat of a problematic couple. when they were on good terms, they were picture perfect. everyone wanted a relationship like theirs. but they also fought. more than most. more than they were okay with. nobody knew the reason behind the fighting, they never told anyone what they were about.. they never confided in anyone, they always worked it out between themselves. all hyunjin and minho knew is that felix would crash at theirs some nights, and changbin would crash at chans some nights. everybody wished they could help.  
“yeah, yeah. do you want my bed tonight, man? you don't look too well,” minho said  
“no, i'm okay. thanks though,” felix said, pushing himself up off the ground. moving into the apartment in front of hyunjin. as soon as he was close enough, he fell on the couch and was out like a light. hyunjin carefully laid a blanket over his friend.  
“i just wish they would work everything out, or at least tell us whats going on. felix could have cancer and we wouldn’t know until his funeral,” minho half heartedly laughed, “but really. I'm worried.”  
hyunjin wrapped his arm around minho. he stayed silent, but minho knew everything he wanted to say.  
that night, minho went to sleep with a lot on his mind. a lotus flower, blooming with colour. a mysterious boy with a special name. his friend, sleeping on his couch away from the man he loved to the moon and back. but one thought was above all others. his best friend, of which he knew was laying awake just as he was. his best friend who never said what he thought. his best friend, the one who stuck with him. the one who never left him, and never would.


	3. t

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jisung goes to chan. minho and seungmin talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello thank you for putting up with my hectic updating schedule whoop whoop  
> the first half of this was written while i was very sad but the second half i was feeling better. i hope you cant tell

jisungs head shot up at the ring of the bell at the front of the store. he deflated when he saw a stranger walk through the door. it was a little over a week since he met minho. they had met here and there, which managed to further their relationship to something closer to a friendship. still, jisung couldnt help the budding feelings he had for the barista. he had been sitting in the coffee shop most of the saturday morning. jisung had every weekend off, as all apprentices do. he had originally just gone for a quick coffee but once he noticed minho wasnt there, he decided to wait in hopes he would show. now, it's 2 in the afternoon and hes started to give up hope. even though he and minho barely had a conversation when they first spoke, jisung couldnt get him out of his head. there was something about him that intrigued jisung, kept pulling his mind back to him. something that made him sit in the coffee shop, drinking his watered down iced coffee, waiting. jisung finally gave up, walking towards the exit. he glanced around and noticed that his design wasn't on the walls, which just ruined his mood further.  
the day he met minho, he went to chans house. he needed to know more about minho, and chan or changbin were his best bet. everything he saw reminded him of minho, he had to put his mind at ease. they were sitting on chans couch talking about chan, changbin and jisungs college days and suddenly, chans phone rang. he saw the caller id as minho, and his heart started to race. he tried really hard to act cool and relaxed, but once he heard the faintness of minhos voice over the line he got giddy once more. jisung couldnt hear anything very clearly, but he was glad with the fact he basically heard minhos voice.  
jisung walked into the tattoo parlor that he worked at just next door to the coffee shop. he planned on talking chans ear off about not seeing minho until he either kicked him out or put him to work. even though he was just an apprentice, the trio who worked there became fairly close friends. he walked through the door, feeling comforted by the buzzing of tattoo guns and the light hum of whatever pop song was playing over the radio. he poked his head into the back, where they did the actual tattooing.  
"hey! just popping in, it okay if i hang out in here?" jisung asked with a smile. he got a hum of approval from the girl in the chair, getting inked.  
"hey ji', i wont be done here for a bit, but youre welcome to stay," chan said. jisung looked at the place chan was focused on, and he immediately recognized the design the girl was getting. it just so happened to be a small lotus flower, with pastels blooming out of each petal. jisungs face lit up so bright he could rival the sun.  
"thats my design! i drew that! i cant believe somebody would get my drawing permanently on their body oh my god, thank you, wow," he rambled. chan just chucked at his friends joy, and jisung could see the girl stifling back a laugh as well.  
"youre better than you think you are, who knows, maybe your designs'll be more popular than bins one day," chan said, voice low and laced with focus. jisung flopped himself down in one of the extra chairs in the room, still unable to wipe the smile off of his face. 

minho was running late for his 2pm shift. minho was late far too often, he was surprised he could even keep the job at the shop. he really didnt have good excuses. most cases, he just lost track of the time. he stumbled into the store nearly 15 minutes late, huffing. seungmin looked at him disapprovingly. minho had met seungmin in college. they were studying different majors, but they had a music theory class together. they hit it off, and ever since they have kept in contact. it was genuinely but chance that the two happened to apply to the same coffee shop. it was also chance that they both got the job. but with the look seungmin had, he doubted he would keep it much longer if he kept it up.  
"late, again. disappointed but not surprised," seungmin said, half joking.  
"i havent even clocked in yet and im already being harassed,"  
"youre lucky i dont have the power to fire you," seungmin said. he draped himself over one of the counters, frowning.  
"wow, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," minho commented, earning himself a pointed glare from his coworker. "seriously though, you okay? seem meaner than usual,"  
"im alright, tired is all,"  
"you act as if ill believe you, whats going on, dude? seriously,"  
"fine. jeongin. were fighting right now and hes giving me the silent treatment," seungmin sighed.  
"well... what did you do?"  
"its literally the stupidest thing! all i did was watch the new episode of say yes to the dress without him! its not even that big of a deal! he was out late with hyunjin and i got bored. he said its supposed to be 'our thing'. he wont even let me apologize,"  
"okay, youre coming over after work. felix is at our house, too. maybe 'jin can get you two straightened out. we both know i could only make it worse," minho said. the rest of the shift went by as slowly as a dead shift can. once their other coworkers came by to relieve them, minho and seungmin headed over to his apartment. minho was surprised at how easily his friend gave in. he usually denies all relationship advice no matter what. this one must really be getting to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prepare for angst in the next chappy whoops. also i have no idea when woojin will show up but he will i promise. okay goodnight

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this short as heck into chapter! this all started from a 2am idea to try and write the most cliche fic as possible. i did happen to get a little creative along the way, youll see.  
> i have no idea when ill update,,, im sorry,,,,  
> but i mean, comment and yell at me if im taking too long ;)  
> anyway! thank you for reading and i hope yall come back


End file.
